Let's come up with an alternative Beautiful Awesome Wiper for Elon

[charliemagpie]

The True Tesla BAW

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[SparkChaser]

This would not clear in front of the cameras, which will become more important than in front of the driver as FSD improves

Good Point. That might be covered if the overlap is increased. The geometry of the windscreen and placement of the cameras will have to be addressed.

 

[flowerlandfilms]

Super heat the glass so moisture is vaporised on contact.
End communication.

 

[Vrakpant]

Normal wipers would be twice as complicated as the current BAW design.

The BAW can push heavy snow down the windshield and off the hood without catching on anything, which will be awesome for parking the CT on winter nights...it could wipe the snow off once an hour, and it will slide right down and off.

Standard car wipers aren't strong enough to lift the snow up to clear the windshield. You have to dig the snow off the windshield, then prop up the wipers, de-ice them, laboriously dig out the wiper stow area nooks and crannies, then pop the wipers back down. Terrible system IMO.

I feel like the BAW design solves those problems.

THIS! Hailing (pun intended) from a nordic/arctic country, six months out of the year (global warming is doing it's best though) having to dig out snow and ice out of the nooks and crannies every bloody morning before work and every bloody afternoon heading home.. IS A PAIN.
If the Cybertruck DOES NOT come with BIG ASS WIPER I am CANCELLING my order! Probably not. Rustfree is the main selling point for me. BUT Big Ass Wiper is now on top of my wishlist. screw midgate(there, I said it) GIMME MY BIG ASS WIPAH!

 

[JBee]

Seeing as how the BAW was the only concept I saw on display at the Cyber Rodeo, I think we need to send Elon some wiper ideas. It's a shot in the dark that he'll see it, but all employees can email Elon directly. If anyone has a good video or a well thought out engineering blueprint for their wiper design, I can try emailing it to him. It would be completely pro-bono, but you'd be making a direct effect on the truck you are planning to buy. It's either that, or the BAW. Hopefully, they'll find this thread. Post a video of your 3D model.

Here is mine, ignore all the DIY in the background, that was my cheeky attempt at a design studio promotion, haha. It's not ready to be scrutinized yet, mostly just vault layouts. Mine is an Maglev squeegee that houses all the electronics under the gaps at both edges of the windshield.

Hi Nomad Musk!
So we had a fairly comprehensive discussion about the maglev style vertically mounted, horizontally wiping, magnetically attached wiper for the CT here:

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.co...the-look-this-trucks-deserves.4291/post-80773

In summary here are the main parts (or at least from my recollection):

1. Design
   1. Use either one or two vertically mounted wipers that wipe left to right. Each wiper would be attached at the top and bottom, either using a low profile slot into a embedded rail system for a mechanically driven system or via two maglev style linear motor rails embedded into the windscreen, with magnets/plates in the wiper(s).
   2. The wiper(s) can be driven by either a inboard pully system on the mechanical drive version, or by the maglev style magnetic linear actuator. A hybrid of these drivetrains can also be used, in that the actuation can be via conventional pulleys and a timing belt top and bottom, but the wiper attaches magnetically through the windscreen to this mechanism for actuation.
   3. The wiper(s) can stow using mechanical holding clamps on either side, where the drive system places it after use, to deter theft and remain stationary in a unpowered state. Alternatively switchable electro-permanent magnets can be used to arrest the wiper(s) and the linear actuation can be completely disabled with no power being used for a linear motor drive version.
   4. The wiper part would either consist of steel components that hold a single or two rubber wiper blades, and would have aero elements to assist in maintaining wiper downforce or a molded composite rubber wiper with embedded magnets/steel plate and structural elements for rigidity could be used
   5. In the stowed position the wiper can be heated using dedicated heating wires in the windscreen
2. Operation
   1. If using one wiper then this would transverse the entire windscreen from left to right and could stow on either side
   2. With two wipers they would work out of phase with each other, with each covering just over half the windscreen. This allows for faster cycle times and lower wiper velocities for the same coverage, however attention needs to be paid to how water and debris is expelled from the windscreen surface in a meaningful fashion (possibly by angled actuation of wiper blade)
   3. To reduce airflow interactions, wiper electrical load, and improve water expulsion from the top and sides, it is possible to drive the bottom and the top of the wiper, so that the top is always delayed, at a slightly offset position, that would allow the airflow to assist in pushing the wiper from side to side at higher vehicle speeds, in conjunction with aero fins to create enough downforce on the wiper to effectively wipe dirt, snow, ice and water etc.
   4. Windscreen spray water would be via either multiple fixed or popup nozzles mounted the bottom edge, or maybe some on the side of the windscreen, with spray intervals in sync with wiper position for best effect, and use antifreeze wiper fluid for winter
   5. For winter use the wiper can either be programmed, or activate via sensors when snow or ice buildup is detected, and can wipe intermittently and unattended to remove buildup whilst parked and using anti-freeze in the spray. (will use about 150Wh per hour at about 10wipes a minute)
   6. Also the wiper could have a winter snow/ice stow position in the center of the windscreen to reduce the load to push off snow on either side of the vehicle. A linear motor could also pulse the wiper blade to use percussion motion for better clearing action. In conjunction with the heated front windscreen and wiper parking location on the windscreen, this will reduce HVAC heat pump load and energy consumption otherwise used to defrost.
3. Risks and Benefits:
   1. Potential issues with linear motor actuation and magnetic park: Metal particles on the windscreen could become an issue so a wiper design to remove such particles from the linear motor path and possibly a periodical degaussing would be required, and operation load monitored should buildup occur. Alternatively a non magnetic clamp/bracket/cubby mechanism can be used for stowage, provided it not interfere with expelling material from the windscreen, and become immobile from ice.
   2. Benefits: Water and debris is expelled off the vehicle on either side, meaning that the wiper does not have to contend with water running back up the windscreen at speed, and debris, ice and snow is removed from the vehicle without buildup

Overall, I think the design pathway has merit, however a cost, structural and performance analysis would be needed to find the best combination of design elements. My gut feel is that a rail system will have lots of parts, but the linear motor version will have a higher cost of parts but simpler implementation.

Happy to help with technical CAD drawings and designs, I can even do some FEA or CFD simulations etc...feel free to PM me otherwise.

 

[JBee]

I think the windshield should be a Chladni plate with lasers to blast off the sticky stuff.

You mean a ultrasonic wiper?

Transducers in the corners or edges that create micro-vibrations that actually breaks the water droplet surface tension creating a thin uniform water layer across the entire screen that you can then look through? I thought of this in the late 90's, but was not confident it would work on heavy debris, ice or snow whilst driving. Plus ultrasonics has a bad reputation around biological things. But you should be able to dial it in, or possibly only oscillate the external glass laminate, and use the windscreen laminates themselves as a transducer, maybe using transparent piezoelectric polymer.

If you use highly polished glass, with a smooth surface, you should also be able to get some of the debris to at least move on the windscreen, the question then becomes where does it move to? Up the screen or sideways etc or in a nice circular orbit right in your field of view at low vehicle speeds, or maybe you can modulate the waveforms in such a way they actually expel the material off the sides or top? Hmm maybe. Ice and snow should actually melt into a surface layer that then should allow the whole mass to slide off the windscreen, with the help of gravity or airflow. Spraying on water should turn dirt into a film of mud that can run off, but anything sticky (bugs) might be more of a problem.

For that it would be best to use a phased array setup like the YST Yamaha sound bars that can manipulate acoustic soundwave direction by firing sound from multiple speakers with small speaker phase offsets. Easy enough to do actually with super cheap multi channel Class D amp IC's with I2S bus interface. Just need to throw in a MCU and some delay code. A solid state, windscreen integrated, vibrating wiper. Better than a BAW in any case.

Need to do a medical effect test first though. ;-)

 

[nomadmusk]

I’m starting to love the BAW.

I have never been against it's looks (and I love the name), but I'm worried about heavy snow clearing capability and rubber replacement; it's clearing a big ass window afterall. An auto clear does sound good tho. Buying replacements directly from Tesla could get expensive. A California/Texas company that has already been caught with their pants down by winter doesn't instil a whole lot of confidence that it will work flawlessly.

The best thing going for it is that it probably infuriates that posh Lamborghini designer that laughed at the CT farther.

@JBee my bad, I'm pretty bad at keeping up with forms, I searched for a few pages but didn't see the concept posted. If you've got anything you think I should append to my email about my animation let me know. I'm just a MacGyver at heart, so I don't know much about how Maglev actually works apart from a layman's understanding.

 

[JBee]

@JBee my bad, I'm pretty bad at keeping up with forms, I searched for a few pages but didn't see the concept posted. If you've got anything you think I should append to my email about my animation let me know. I'm just a MacGyver at heart, so I don't know much about how Maglev actually works apart from a layman's understanding.

No worries, I just read your first post and remembered the other one so thought it was easier to link to it and make a summary.

What presentation level is the email meant to be in? Simple executive summary with a few diagrams and/or prototype demonstrator with CAD plans?

I'm not sure what level of spam filter it goes through...maybe needs some code words to get it to the right department?

 

[Dids]

You mean a ultrasonic wiper?

Transducers in the corners or edges that create micro-vibrations that actually breaks the water droplet surface tension creating a thin uniform water layer across the entire screen that you can then look through? I thought of this in the late 90's, but was not confident it would work on heavy debris, ice or snow whilst driving. Plus ultrasonics has a bad reputation around biological things. But you should be able to dial it in, or possibly only oscillate the external glass laminate, and use the windscreen laminates themselves as a transducer, maybe using transparent piezoelectric polymer.

If you use highly polished glass, with a smooth surface, you should also be able to get some of the debris to at least move on the windscreen, the question then becomes where does it move to? Up the screen or sideways etc or in a nice circular orbit right in your field of view at low vehicle speeds, or maybe you can modulate the waveforms in such a way they actually expel the material off the sides or top? Hmm maybe. Ice and snow should actually melt into a surface layer that then should allow the whole mass to slide off the windscreen, with the help of gravity or airflow. Spraying on water should turn dirt into a film of mud that can run off, but anything sticky (bugs) might be more of a problem.

For that it would be best to use a phased array setup like the YST Yamaha sound bars that can manipulate acoustic soundwave direction by firing sound from multiple speakers with small speaker phase offsets. Easy enough to do actually with super cheap multi channel Class D amp IC's with I2S bus interface. Just need to throw in a MCU and some delay code. A solid state, windscreen integrated, vibrating wiper. Better than a BAW in any case.

Need to do a medical effect test first though. ;-)

Yes and yes to phases array idea. If frequency is above 40khz there shouldn't be any interaction with living things unless direct contact with transduction gel. The reason for the chladni plate idea is that the resonant frequencies create standing waves requiring lower amplitude wave so even safer level sound. Agree the problem would be to move chunks but ice would delaminate easily. If the laser was employed to blast bugs etc should be functional.
The problem is determining the frequencies and the phases array progression to move the standing waves properly. We need a mathematician / physicist to understand the chladni laws properly .

 

[CyberGus]

The BAW can push heavy snow down the windshield and off the hood without catching on anything, which will be awesome for parking the CT on winter nights...it could wipe the snow off once an hour, and it will slide right down and off.

Without clearing the cameras during inclement weather, Sentry-mode would be impaired.

 

[jerhenderson]

Seeing as how the BAW was the only concept I saw on display at the Cyber Rodeo, I think we need to send Elon some wiper ideas. It's a shot in the dark that he'll see it, but all employees can email Elon directly. If anyone has a good video or a well thought out engineering blueprint for their wiper design, I can try emailing it to him. It would be completely pro-bono, but you'd be making a direct effect on the truck you are planning to buy. It's either that, or the BAW. Hopefully, they'll find this thread. Post a video of your 3D model.

Here is mine, ignore all the DIY in the background, that was my cheeky attempt at a design studio promotion, haha. It's not ready to be scrutinized yet, mostly just vault layouts. Mine is an Maglev squeegee that houses all the electronics under the gaps at both edges of the windshield.

terrible idea for anywhere that gets winter.

 

[jerhenderson]

Hi Nomad Musk!
So we had a fairly comprehensive discussion about the maglev style vertically mounted, horizontally wiping, magnetically attached wiper for the CT here:

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.co...the-look-this-trucks-deserves.4291/post-80773

In summary here are the main parts (or at least from my recollection):

1. Design
   1. Use either one or two vertically mounted wipers that wipe left to right. Each wiper would be attached at the top and bottom, either using a low profile slot into a embedded rail system for a mechanically driven system or via two maglev style linear motor rails embedded into the windscreen, with magnets/plates in the wiper(s).
   2. The wiper(s) can be driven by either a inboard pully system on the mechanical drive version, or by the maglev style magnetic linear actuator. A hybrid of these drivetrains can also be used, in that the actuation can be via conventional pulleys and a timing belt top and bottom, but the wiper attaches magnetically through the windscreen to this mechanism for actuation.
   3. The wiper(s) can stow using mechanical holding clamps on either side, where the drive system places it after use, to deter theft and remain stationary in a unpowered state. Alternatively switchable electro-permanent magnets can be used to arrest the wiper(s) and the linear actuation can be completely disabled with no power being used for a linear motor drive version.
   4. The wiper part would either consist of steel components that hold a single or two rubber wiper blades, and would have aero elements to assist in maintaining wiper downforce or a molded composite rubber wiper with embedded magnets/steel plate and structural elements for rigidity could be used
   5. In the stowed position the wiper can be heated using dedicated heating wires in the windscreen
2. Operation
   1. If using one wiper then this would transverse the entire windscreen from left to right and could stow on either side
   2. With two wipers they would work out of phase with each other, with each covering just over half the windscreen. This allows for faster cycle times and lower wiper velocities for the same coverage, however attention needs to be paid to how water and debris is expelled from the windscreen surface in a meaningful fashion (possibly by angled actuation of wiper blade)
   3. To reduce airflow interactions, wiper electrical load, and improve water expulsion from the top and sides, it is possible to drive the bottom and the top of the wiper, so that the top is always delayed, at a slightly offset position, that would allow the airflow to assist in pushing the wiper from side to side at higher vehicle speeds, in conjunction with aero fins to create enough downforce on the wiper to effectively wipe dirt, snow, ice and water etc.
   4. Windscreen spray water would be via either multiple fixed or popup nozzles mounted the bottom edge, or maybe some on the side of the windscreen, with spray intervals in sync with wiper position for best effect, and use antifreeze wiper fluid for winter
   5. For winter use the wiper can either be programmed, or activate via sensors when snow or ice buildup is detected, and can wipe intermittently and unattended to remove buildup whilst parked and using anti-freeze in the spray. (will use about 150Wh per hour at about 10wipes a minute)
   6. Also the wiper could have a winter snow/ice stow position in the center of the windscreen to reduce the load to push off snow on either side of the vehicle. A linear motor could also pulse the wiper blade to use percussion motion for better clearing action. In conjunction with the heated front windscreen and wiper parking location on the windscreen, this will reduce HVAC heat pump load and energy consumption otherwise used to defrost.
3. Risks and Benefits:
   1. Potential issues with linear motor actuation and magnetic park: Metal particles on the windscreen could become an issue so a wiper design to remove such particles from the linear motor path and possibly a periodical degaussing would be required, and operation load monitored should buildup occur. Alternatively a non magnetic clamp/bracket/cubby mechanism can be used for stowage, provided it not interfere with expelling material from the windscreen, and become immobile from ice.
   2. Benefits: Water and debris is expelled off the vehicle on either side, meaning that the wiper does not have to contend with water running back up the windscreen at speed, and debris, ice and snow is removed from the vehicle without buildup

Overall, I think the design pathway has merit, however a cost, structural and performance analysis would be needed to find the best combination of design elements. My gut feel is that a rail system will have lots of parts, but the linear motor version will have a higher cost of parts but simpler implementation.

Happy to help with technical CAD drawings and designs, I can even do some FEA or CFD simulations etc...feel free to PM me otherwise.

again, a terrible concept in winter. hello bits of ice jamming the mechanisms.

 

[CostcoSamples]

I don't mind the He-Man wiper blade. In fact, its growing on me and I think it adds to the overall aesthetic. If they made it a wimpy slender blade I'd be offended.

 

[Tinker71]

The True Tesla BAW

That how they do it down under.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Good Point. That might be covered if the overlap is increased. The geometry of the windscreen and placement of the cameras will have to be addressed.

Dream on.

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